It’s really incredible, as a board game fan, to delve into the many games that have been designed in recent years using just 18 cards.
Button Shy is well known for such games, offering many for solo and multiplayer play, some admittedly bland, while others soar to surprising heights given the small footprint of only 18 cards.
Canadian designer Stephen Sauer and publisher Deck Hand Games have taken the 18-card idea a step further.
Take The Dig: Treasure Island. It comes in a very small package, containing a mere 18 cards and a pretty straightforward rule set, but it expands the game concept by incorporating a standard 52-card poker deck.
The combination of unique game cards and a regular deck expands the experience, allowing The Dig to accommodate two to four players and reach a playtime in the 30-minute range. This pushes it toward the upper limit of what The Meeple Guild considers a “filler” game.
In The Dig: Treasure Island, players compete to claim the most points’ worth of treasure over two rounds. To collect treasure, they must first draft cards using the standard deck to assemble what is termed a “map” (a tableau of 12 cards) in front of them.
At the end of each round, treasure cards, the special cards supplied with the game, are awarded to the players whose maps best match the patterns shown on those cards.
Players may also use “equipment” cards to adjust their maps to their advantage, adding a bit of flexibility in how they complete a map.
At the end of two rounds, the player with the most valuable treasure wins.
This one is all about selecting cards as wisely as possible, choosing from face-up options or drawing blind from the deck, and then positioning them to match the treasure cards.
This one earned something of a split decision from The Meeple Guild. Adam and Trevor were underwhelmed, while this writer was more appreciative.
There are, of course, many games where you select cards from a “marketplace” and build tableaus toward a particular goal. The Dig is not unique, but it accomplishes a lot with such a small footprint. It is easily teachable and highly portable, offering a certain versatility, albeit something of an acquired taste, at least if our group is any indication.
You can find Deck Hand Games on Facebook.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
MIXING IN REGULAR CARDS WITH A FEW SPECIAL CARDS FEELS INNOVATIVE
Button Shy is well known for such games, offering many for solo and multiplayer play, some admittedly bland, while others soar to surprising heights given the small footprint of only 18 cards.
Canadian designer Stephen Sauer and publisher Deck Hand Games have taken the 18-card idea a step further.
Take The Dig: Treasure Island. It comes in a very small package, containing a mere 18 cards and a pretty straightforward rule set, but it expands the game concept by incorporating a standard 52-card poker deck.
The combination of unique game cards and a regular deck expands the experience, allowing The Dig to accommodate two to four players and reach a playtime in the 30-minute range. This pushes it toward the upper limit of what The Meeple Guild considers a “filler” game.
In The Dig: Treasure Island, players compete to claim the most points’ worth of treasure over two rounds. To collect treasure, they must first draft cards using the standard deck to assemble what is termed a “map” (a tableau of 12 cards) in front of them.
At the end of each round, treasure cards, the special cards supplied with the game, are awarded to the players whose maps best match the patterns shown on those cards.
Players may also use “equipment” cards to adjust their maps to their advantage, adding a bit of flexibility in how they complete a map.
At the end of two rounds, the player with the most valuable treasure wins.
This one is all about selecting cards as wisely as possible, choosing from face-up options or drawing blind from the deck, and then positioning them to match the treasure cards.
This one earned something of a split decision from The Meeple Guild. Adam and Trevor were underwhelmed, while this writer was more appreciative.
There are, of course, many games where you select cards from a “marketplace” and build tableaus toward a particular goal. The Dig is not unique, but it accomplishes a lot with such a small footprint. It is easily teachable and highly portable, offering a certain versatility, albeit something of an acquired taste, at least if our group is any indication.
You can find Deck Hand Games on Facebook.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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